Malnourished
by Kiba Sniper
Summary: It never struck Chloe how strange it was for Bobby's ribs to show.


please read! this is based on bobby's description mentioning that he's malnourished. it really struck me as a big ol' warning sign for the abuse that he suffers at home. this fic does show bobby being unable to stomach certain kinds of food and vomits. i headcanon as him suffering not really from an eating disorder, but here's your warning for that just in case - it's more like his body can't handle certain kinds of food because he isn't able to eat much at home. also, if you take this as some kind of weird vomiting kink or whatever i will maim you because that's DEFINITELY not the point of this fic.

Malnourished

Aliens had various body types. Some were tall like the ambassador Chloe was observing, and some were short like herself, a pure-blooded Cygnan. Others had extra appendages or none at all. Tentacles, wings, feathers, fangs, antennae, translucent skin, multiple eyeballs, a plethora of physical combinations for aliens of all species existed in the vast span of the universe.

Noticing Bobby's ribs pressing against his skin hadn't been a cause for alarm. She assumed it was part of his physiology. Similar to the tumor topping his head, Chloe hypothesized that his bone structure was shaped differently or was too large for his chest. It didn't seem to bother him, especially since most of the clothing he wore showed off his ribs. That evidence caused Chloe to speculate it was common for his species' ribs to show, and she didn't follow through with asking him about his body. Idle curiosity had distracted her from her goal of building her spaceship. Worse, she risked losing contact with her fellow alien. Asking him about his ribs could have offended him. She had asked about his teeth before, and his face burned a brilliant, sweaty red before he abruptly changed the subject, prompting Chloe to keep her theories about him in her notebooks.

A few days after she made the bony discovery about Bobby, Chef Cruller made hamburgers for lunch. They were graying, decaying slabs of meat on wheat buns with only ketchup and pickles keeping them edible. He also made steak fries, salted and over-cooked with a thick layer of grease coating every fry. None of the campers looked happy with their trays, but he ordered them to not complain or he'd tell Oleander to cancel the Burger King field trip scheduled for the weekend. Without much choice, the campers sat with their cliques and chatted, forcing down the food the chef made for them with only a few grumbling about it.

In their corner of the lodge, Bobby didn't touch his food. He stared at it, flipping fry after fry over on his paper plate as Chloe wrote down her morning observations in her notebook. Naturally, she jotted down his strange reaction. Greasy, fatty food such as burgers and fries seemed perfectly up his alley. She had seen him eat chips and candy and even two slices of strawberry shortcake during Lili's birthday party, but for some reason, that kind of food seemed incompatible with him. When she asked him why he wasn't eating, he suddenly shoved a fry into his mouth, which she believed was a tactic he used to buy time to think of an answer.

"Uh, y'know, tastes bad," he said, swallowing. He glanced at the stage behind them, Quentin and Phoebe playing as usual with their food also untouched.

"I see. Your people have an aversion to this type of food. That's perfectly understandable," Chloe said matter-of-factly.

Bobby shifted his gaze back to the corner of the picnic bench. "Oh, uh, m-maybe," he mumbled, the corners of his mouth working their way upwards.

Chloe frowned. His wishy-washy response didn't confirm nor deny her theory. She would have pressed him more, but he interjected in a voice reminding her of a dying cat asking about her private class with Sasha. It was obvious he was changing the subject. The way he stared down at her, his pupils constricting, told her that he wanted her to go along with his question instead of continuing to pursue an answer.

Swinging her legs under the table, she didn't want to ruin the potential interplanetary connection their people would soon have. They were both ambassadors, and they needed to remain civil. Creating conflict all because of some dietary difference would have looked foolish. She even imagined being laughed at by the Greater Galactic Council for her poor judgment. Sighing, she said, "Well, it was fine. I cannot comprehend how anyone is expected to handle so many censors at one time. He expects me to have enough anger stored in such little time while the censors attack. Baffling, right?"

He listened as she complained. While she talked about Sasha's intense training, she noticed he was eating. Keeping his attention on her seemed like it put his brain on autopilot. She decided to continue talking, filling the silence between them as he ate while she criticized Sasha's training methods. He didn't look away from her, his hand moving back and forth to bring either the burger or another fry to be eaten, and he hung on to her every word. He always seemed so interested in her, which she assumed was because they were both aliens. Perhaps he was also examining for his own people, his thoughts about her locked behind his powerful mental defenses. Not even her own poignant telepathy could breach his thoughts, and she found herself hoping that one day she could scan his mind for the answers she sought about him.

In a matter of minutes, he finished both his burger and fries while she had only eaten her burger. When his hand tapped the greasy plate, he jerked his head down, his eyes wide as if he hadn't expected to finish his meal. He turned his hand over, the grease shining between his fingers, the sight making Chloe wrinkle her nose, but the way his brow wrinkled and eyes widened left her with an odd, unfamiliar pit forming in her stomach.

"Are you okay?" Chloe asked, tilting her head.

"Wh-? Oh, oh, y-yeah!" Bobby cackled, the sound too screechy for her liking. "Guess I-guess I just-without thinking-" He wiped off the salt and grease on his shorts. When she glanced at the napkins, he grimaced and snatched one out of the dispenser to clean his fingers. Crumpling it, he tossed it on his tray and grabbed it, saying, "Hey, um, I gotta-I gotta go to Milla's class. I'm taking some advanced levitation training."

"Impressive. I understand why you're always coming in first during her races now," she replied, her compliment making his face turn a light shade of purple. "I'll see you later. If you're going to be at the docks, I'll meet you after your class."

"Su-sure, sure! Sounds good," he said, his smile appearing more natural.

She watched him throw his tray onto the stage where Cruller would have to collect it later. She would have told him to put it in its proper place when she noticed his hand running across his stomach, his expression twisting from blissful to irritated. His brows furrowed, and his mouth screwed itself into a thin line, his remaining teeth covering his lower lip. Before she could call out to him, he hurried out the back door, the hinges creaking and masking the sound of his footsteps.

She felt like she was the only one who witnessed such a strange event. The other kids seemed too caught up in their own private conversations to pay them any mind. Elton and Milka kissed while Elka lamented her woes to the latter, who didn't seem to hear her or tried to ignore her. Clem and Crystal spoke to each other in low tones as they left through the front door. As usual, Kitty and Franke painted their nails, their shoulders brushing against each other. Maloof was showing Mikhail the arrowheads they had collected during the day from their protection services. Chops made a display of covering his ears while Quentin and Phoebe played, JT snickering at his antics. The counselors were also focused on their meal and private conversation in their corner of the lodge.

_Wait a minute._

Chloe paused as she lifted her helmet. Dropping the fry she was about to eat, she raised her head and narrowed her eyes on the long, glossy hair belonging to none other than Milla Vodello. She was only a few feet away, her back facing Chloe as she told her coworkers about a mission she had been on before camp started. Her laughter mingled with Oleander's, Sasha seemingly rolling his eyes as he shook his head at something amusing she had said.

_But Bobby said he had levitation training, and I don't think he has access to Milla's mind without a Psycho Portal. _She scowled. _That means he lied to me._

Her cheeks reddened as the realization dawned on her. She didn't think of him as a liar, but the brazen, bold fib made her grit down on her molars. He had never given her any reason to doubt him before, the taste of the fries suddenly sour as she quickly stuffed one in her mouth. Chewing slowly, she knew that behavior was not becoming of an ambassador, and she hoped the rest of his people weren't as two-faced.

But she couldn't bring herself to be truly annoyed. She sensed there was something wrong with that whole exchange. It was unlike Bobby to leave first. He usually let her go on her way before stalking off somewhere. Not only that, the way Bobby had eaten struck her as strange even among aliens. She looked over her shoulder back to his empty tray. Bits of grease shown under the lights as Cruller hobbled over, grabbed it, and cursed Bobby under his breath as he took the tray to the sink.

Chloe slipped her legs over the bench and took her notebook. Tucking it underneath her arm, she decided to investigate. Her curiosity couldn't be quelled now that such a peculiar incident had happened. She wondered if the food triggered a change in his personality to make him lie as she left her tray behind, too engrossed with theorizing to care about Cruller snapping at her to put her tray away.

Leaving through the back exit, Chloe hurried down the steps and managed to catch sight of his voluminous tumor before it could vanish through the trees. She took a breath to call out to him only to gasp it down, her shoulders rising a bit. He wouldn't like being found out. If he knew that she realized his trick, that would put a severe damper between the relationships of their people. Perhaps he wouldn't want to hang around her anymore if she became too suspicious, the thought of breaking off their friendship as harmful as realizing he lied.

She remembered Milka telling her that stealth was needed in these kind of situations. Sometimes, it was better to spy on others than to directly ask questions. Milka said it was the fastest way to get results, and in this special case, Chloe agreed despite the little voice in the back of her head telling her to talk to him.

She hurried after him before she could lose him among the trees. Though, she could easily find him again. His fiery orange hair and light blue skin contrasted with the deep greens and browns of the forest. If anything, he stood out like a sore, swollen thumb, but as she tiptoed behind him, carefully giving herself enough distance in case he sensed her presence, she noticed that he started pacing underneath one of the many cliffs, walking in place as if he was making a crop circle.

_Could he be calling his people? _Chloe thought, excitement racing through her as she ducked behind a bush. She parted the thorns and leaves, giving herself a clear view of Bobby as he stomped around like a giant mashing down on an innocent village.

"Stay down," he snarled at himself, gripping his stomach. "Stay the hell down already."

He growled and spat out something thick, which made Chloe suppress a disgusted grunt. Digging his heels into the ground, Bobby sucked down deep breaths and wiped his forehead with his sweatband. He continued walking in a circle, his eyes rolling so far up in his head that Chloe saw the whites of his eyes.

_What is he doing? Is this some sort of ritual for his people after they eat? _Chloe wondered and took out her notebook. She slipped her pencil out of her pocket and wrote down her observations, theories tingling her brain as she continued watching. _I've never seen him do this before, but he seems rather stressed. That expression is similar to the ones I've seen on earthlings when they're mad._

"Dammit!" Bobby snapped, slamming the side of his fist into the rocky cliff side.

She flinched and dropped her pencil. It rolled out of the bush, but Bobby didn't notice when he suddenly clapped his hand over his mouth. One of his eyes twitched, his brow wrinkling as he took off again, sweat trickling down his cheeks. Chloe emerged as soon as his shadow was out of her sight, his footsteps becoming lighter as he ran away and leaving her staring at his vanishing shadow.

Brushing leaves off her shoulders, she snatched her pencil and hurried after him. She wasn't sure what it was that compelled her to give chase. She wanted to say it was purely intellectual curiosity or that she was obligated to help her fellow alien. They were both strangers on a planet with people who didn't understand them, so seeing him act in such a bizarre way made her pick up her pace even when her heart was pounding so loudly that her head began throbbing.

The area she came out to was more than surprising as she saw Bobby tear open a door and hurry through it. She slowed to a stop in front of the boy's locker room, an area of the camp located just past the GPCs. For Bobby to go to that area despite whatever concern he had with those psychic deprivation tanks, she knew something serious was happening with him. He hated the GPCs and always asked her if they could go some other way on their walks. She obliged every time, but seeing him go past them alerted her to the severity of the situation, and she hurried towards the locker room, her concern for her fellow alien deepening.

As she reached for the doorknob, she paused. She couldn't waltz in there and ask him what was wrong. He'd probably panic seeing a girl in the boy's room. Frowning, she shook her head and gripped the doorknob, deciding that gender barriers on Earth were inconsequential to her quest.

"Oooh, what's this? Why are you going in there, Chloe?"

She grimaced, her mouth twisting into a frown. Pivoting on her heels, she came face-to-face with the one boy in Whispering Rock who seemed to revile her for unknown reasons. Sighing caused her helmet to fog up a bit, giving her some protection from having to see his sneering face, but that couldn't shield her forever as she leered at him.

"Benny," she mumbled, lowering her hand to her side, "what is it?"

"Why's a girl like you going in the boy's room?" Benny asked, the question sounding innocent as he tapped his cheek. He glanced around, checking over both shoulders. "Huh. Bobby's not with you." Scowling, he narrowed his eyes at her. "That's a first. I haven't seen him without you pestering him for the past four days. Do you even care about how that cuts into my bullying cred?"

"You should be happy. Bobby is making wonderful progress and-"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, alien talk this, alien talk that. That's all you two do," Benny jeered, waving his hand. "Man, you're really making this difficult for me. What am I supposed to do if he actually turns over a new leaf? Ma-loser's protection services just aren't the same as Bobby's." He huffed as Chloe rolled her eyes. "Where is he anyway? Were you telling him to be a good boy again and he finally got sick and tired of you nagging him?"

"If you must know where he is, Bobby ran in there," Chloe said, pointing at the door.

"'Ran in there?'" Benny hummed, his grin stretched into his cheeks. "And you were gonna go in after him?"

"Yes."

A puff of air slipped past Benny's lips. He chuckled only to quickly swallow, glancing at the door as if Bobby would appear at any second. Stuffing his hands into his pockets, he said, "Wow! And here I thought he was obsessed with you. Guess you two are crazy for each other." He snorted as Chloe went to turn the doorknob. "Then again, you think you're an alien. Of course you're crazy."

His insults hardly stung. She was used to Benny's derision. People like him couldn't understand her or Bobby. He had disliked her the moment they started their companionship, which was based on similar alien experiences even if Bobby didn't talk about himself or his culture despite her many attempts at prying.

"I don't have time for your antics today. Bobby seems distressed," she said, Benny's eyes widening.

Crossing his arms, he leaned on his left leg and asked, "He did? How?"

She wasn't sure if she should divulge anything to Benny, but she thought he was Bobby's friend. Benny always seemed to cling to Bobby's side. They tormented fish at the docks and sat next to each other in Oleander's class. Though, Bobby would frequently leave Benny behind or smack him when he was tired of him, leaving her to wonder if it was proper to speak with Benny. Their friendship seemed forced, a duo bonded only to bully other kids, and Bobby had been spending far less time with him. Perhaps he was moving on while Benny tried remaining in his good graces, his attempts earning Bobby's ire rather than respect.

"What, is he taking a dump?" Benny sneered, his comment reminding Chloe of Bobby.

"N-no, no, I don't think so. That's gross. Don't talk to me like that," she replied, her cheeks burning.

"Ugh, you're dumb. Anyone goes into a bathroom to, you know, use the bathroom." Benny leaned forward and clapped his hand on her shoulder. Smiling in a way that reminded Chloe of a viper, he whispered, "If you wanna check, hey, be my guest."

He snatched the side of her helmet and spun it. The world suddenly became a blur of darkness and colors switching in and out in Chloe's eyes. She couldn't focus on anything, her vision becoming swamped with the changing scenery. As she grabbed her helmet to steady herself, Benny opened the door and dug his fingernails into Chloe's shoulder, his eyes in a squint from how hard he was smiling.

Before she could protest, Benny shoved her inside and shut the door, the _click _barely audible. Chloe stumbled and held on to the side of a stall, her footsteps squeaking on the tiles. She was tempted to run back out and yell at Benny, but the sound of moaning went through one ear and out the other. Chloe stiffened, gripping the hem of her shirt as she peered around the corner, surprised Bobby hadn't heard their scuffle.

She took a breath, ready to say his name when another moan pierced through her. She quieted her footsteps as she made her way passed the stalls. She tiptoed by doors scrawled with graffiti and toilet paper rolls left on the floor. Chloe made her way over to the groaning sound, turning invisible when she found Bobby hunched over a toilet, grasping the seat and gasping out insults directed at himself. Ragged breaths left him, each of them quicker than the last. Bobby rocked his head back and forth, his tuft of orange hair wobbling, and Chloe made out his flushed cheeks from her angle behind him.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid," he grumbled, "stupid friggin' stomach. Keep it down, keep it down."

_Stomach problems? _Chloe thought, her eyes wide. _Could it be from the food he consumed? Perhaps Chef Cruller's concoctions aren't mixing well with his species' version of a stomach._

Bobby lurched forward, his hands flying to his hair. His chest heaved, and his head bobbed forward. Chloe saw cheeks bulge, his thin neck looking enlarged as something rose upwards, and he ducked his head down, vomiting up something Chloe was thankful she couldn't see. The spewing noise assaulted her ears, and Chloe stepped backwards, dumbfounded on what to do next. She watched him shove his hand into his hair and retrieve a water bottle, twisting off the cap and swigging half of it in one go. He swished it around in his mouth and spat again, another curse leaving him as he slammed the bottle on the ground, the water spilling through the cracks in the tiles.

Her mouth fell open as Bobby got to his feet. He still didn't realize she was there. The pungent stench seemed to hit him as he flinched and flushed the toilet. Chloe's helmet protected her from the foul odor, only sniffing lingering meat which made her stomach churn.

Bobby dragged his hand down his face, wobbling as he turned around. He rubbed his eyes and lowered his shoulders, sighing heavily. Looking down, he tilted his head at the emptiness behind him despite the odd squeaking of sneakers filling the locker room. Stepping out of the stall, Bobby glanced around and crept towards the door, his eyes scanning the seemingly empty room. Coming to the door, he gripped the knob, glared over his shoulder, and hurried outside.

As the door slammed shut, Chloe's invisibility wore off. Her heart thundered in her chest as she stared down at her hands. She hadn't meant to turn invisible. It happened automatically, her fear of being discovered stronger than her shock or curiosity. She felt like Milka could relate to that feeling as she stared at the door, half-expecting Bobby to storm back inside to check if anyone had seen him.

Setting her hand over her alien version of a heart, Chloe wondered what she had witnessed. The incident left her rattled, her thoughts in disarray as she tried coming to terms with reasonable solutions. She had no idea that his species couldn't handle that amount of grease, a sensation she could understand, but she had never vomited. There were times when she felt queasy, but it was nothing as severe as needing to throw up in such a short amount of time.

As she ambled out of the locker room, her reasoning swapped for concern. Bobby tried keeping her away. He didn't want her to see that display for some reason. Her chest constricted, a nauseating pulsing which made her blood chill in her veins. She hoped he was feeling better now that the chef's slop had been removed from his system, but she still worried. An ambassador like Bobby needed all the nourishment he could get when the memory of his ribs pressing into his skin hit her thoughts like a freight train.

_Humans with their ribs showing are commonly underfed. Could it be the same as him? Is he not eating well or is his body refusing this earthling pigswill?_

Swallowing, Chloe tugged on her collar as she trekked away from the locker room. She kicked a few stones off the beaten path and mulled over why he didn't tell her. He had his secrets, and she had hers. Some things weren't meant to be discussed or uncovered, but he had been in such agony that it made her own stomach lurch as she came out to the GPCs, the sound of him retching refusing to leave her head.

"Chloe?"

She jerked her head up. There was Bobby looking over his shoulder at her only a few yards away. She hurried to catch up to him, never taking her eyes off his posture. His hands clenched into white-knuckled fists, and his brow dampened with sweat, but he forced his mouth to smile at her as she slowed to a stop in front of him.

"Bobby, I thought you were at levitation training," she said, her tone neutral.

"Levita-? O-oh! Yeah, yeah." He snickered and glanced at the path as they headed towards the caves leading the lake. "I'm-I'm goin' there now. Milla was still eating. Didn't realize it, so I-I took a li'l walk." He brightened, tapping his hands on his hips. "Hey, m-maybe-maybe you can join me or somethin'. I-if you want, that is. Could be fun."

"Should you-?" Chloe cleared her throat, realizing that she almost gave herself away by asking if he should practice. She coughed a little, Bobby asking if she was okay. Patting her chest, she nodded and said, "Yes. That sounds agreeable. Will you be racing?"

"Oh, yeah! I'm gonna come in first just for you," he proclaimed, beaming with pride. His shoulders suddenly hitched. "I mean, y'know, if we're racing against each other, I'll let you win."

"No need. I still have trouble balancing. I'd look quite foolish racing when I can't do even that."

"I-I-I can show ya how to do it! It's real easy. You just-" Bobby jumped up, his pink levitation ball appearing under his feet. He rocked and rolled in place. "-do this."

Chloe flicked her gaze between his ball and his face. "Impressive. I still don't have my badge, so I'll try it while in Milla's mind."

"Great! Lemme know if ya need help." He stepped off his ball, it fizzling out behind him with a quiet _puff._

"Bobby?"

"Yeah?" He cocked his head at her.

Chloe held her breath for a moment. The question was on the tip of her tongue. She would have easily asked it under other circumstances.

But in her mind, he kept vomiting. His face was still scrunched up in distress, and she could still hear him insulting himself. Even the way his hair bobbed as his retched made her skin crawl, and she rubbed her arm, glancing over her shoulder towards the distant GPCs.

"Hey, you feelin' sick or somethin'?" Bobby quietly wondered. He reached out for her, paused, and then quickly wiped his hands on his shorts.

"Are you feeling okay?" Chloe asked, raising her head. "You look a little-um, what's the earth saying? Green in the face?"

"M-m-me? Me?" Bobby's teeth seemed to jostle in his mouth when he jerked backwards. He twisted around, his elbows pointing outwards as he entered the cave. "N-no, no, I'm-I'm all good. That's just, uh, how I look."

"You look more blue than green," Chloe said, catching up to him. She avoided the various puddles, Bobby opting to walk in them as they made their way to the lake.

"Oh, y-yeah, guess so," he said, shrugging. At her pointed look, he rubbed his neck and directed his attention to his feet. "I'm fine, Chloe. Uh, really, really, I'm fine. You don't gotta worry about me." Another snicker warbled behind closed lips. "Th-thanks, though. Um, no one-no one really asks me that."

The urge to tell him what she had seen swelled in her chest. It would have forced him to acknowledge that something was wrong with him, but his comment caught her off guard. Her hypothesis suddenly sounded stupid in her head, shame pinching her nerves as they walked over to the lake. The bright sunlight caused Bobby to shield his eyes, the way his eyes squinted bringing her right back to that dreadful scene in the locker room. She fiddled with her helmet, peering at him out of the corner of her eye, watching him walk ahead of her towards the docks where Milla levitated, a few campers already sitting around her.

"You're welcome," Chloe croaked out as she caught up to him.

He didn't say anything else, but the smile on his face seemed so genuine that it made her ache.


End file.
